Judge Rosilah Yop set the date in chambers with lawyers K Shanmuga and Fahri Azzat for Malaysiakini and Yee Mei Ken for Taib. When contacted here, Mei Ken said the date was set after both parties failed to reach an out-of-court settlement on the matter.

Taib filed the case in 2007 after the news portal posted a series of 12 articles between April 6 and May 3, 2007 which he claimed contained words which were libelous of him.

Taib named Malaysiakini, its publisher Mkini Dotcom, and the portal’s chief editor Gan Diong Keng, also known as Steven Gan, as the defendants.

He claimed the libelous words in the article carried a common meaning, to be understood, among others, that he gained RM32 million as proceeds from illegal logging activities in Sarawak and had committed a crime and can have criminal proceedings brought against him.

He sought damages for considerable losses, interest, cost and any other relief deemed fit by the court. — Bernama